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Capielaw is an enclosed settlement located in Midlothian, Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Scottish Coal Measures Group, formed during the Moscovian period, comprising mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete. This geology shaped both the landscape and the settlement's position within it.
Enclosed settlements of this type are characteristic of Iron Age and Romano-British communities across Scotland, typically comprising roundhouses or rectangular structures arranged within defensive boundaries. At Capielaw, the enclosure would have provided protection and defined a space for domestic and communal activities, reflecting the settlement patterns of these periods.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6266, recognising its archaeological significance. The underlying geology, with its deposits of coal and ferricrete, indicates the mineral-rich character of the Midlothian landscape that would have influenced settlement location and resource availability during antiquity.
Capielaw, enclosed settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6266. View the official record →
Capielaw is an enclosed settlement located in Midlothian, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6266.
Capielaw, enclosed settlement is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM6266.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Highwood House,enclosure 800m S of (1.5 km), Enclosed settlement, 480m SE of Stonefieldhill Farm (1.6 km), Newbigging,enclosure 400m NE of (2.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Capielaw, enclosed settlement's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Capielaw, enclosed settlement stands on Scottish Coal Measures Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.